Fourth of July
by MomofPhoenix
Summary: This is a Babe one shot for the Fourth of July. Rating is for language.


A/N not mine, I own nothing.

Fourth of July

This was going to be the day from hell. I knew it the minute I woke up. You see, it may be independence day, but I do not have my independence. Who am I; you ask. I am Stephanie Plum. I am a bonds enforcement agent at my cousin Vinnie's bail bonds office.

I hate every holiday for various reasons. Like Valentine's day, my on/off boy friend, Joe Morelli, always broke up with me at least 24 hours before it. Well, this year I discovered why. He and Terri Gillman went to The Ritz in NYC every year for dinner. He gave her a diamond this year. I gave up.

My mother, the wicked witch of the Burg, has been hounding me four times a day like clockwork. The Burg grapevine, courtesy of my own mother's rumors, is saying that I was cheating on Joe and that's why he married the mob princess last month.

I can't even step outside of my apartment without being bombarded with nasty looks or being called vile names...Thanks Mom, I love you too.

I am sitting in my car staring at the Porsche Turbo 911, I was in shock, I hadn't seen or heard from Ranger since that fateful Valentine's day. He had sent me a single red rose with a card, that simply read; Babe.

With my luck, he'll pull me behind the bonds office and kiss me senseless, then remind me that he doesn't do relationships. I was in a quandary, do I go in or do I go home? Oh, what the hell...let the torture begin.

I take a deep breath and brace myself. I was not going to let anything get to me. I couldn't, this is a crappy day anyway, so fuck it all.

I walked into the bonds office and the sight that greeted me had my tattered heart shatter into a thousand pieces. There stood Ranger, with his arms around the shoulders of a beautiful woman.

"Hey, any files for me?" I asked Connie.

"Not today Steph. Check back on Monday."

"Will do. Later." I left without a word to anyone else. I made it to my car and my apartment before I broke down.

Can't I get a damn break, just one freaking break in life. That's all I want. As many times as Ranger has told me that his life doesn't lend itself to relationships, it turns out that it's me that shouldn't have them. It doesn't seem like anyone wants me anyway.

I am almost completely passed out on the couch from my crying jag. I heard them, my locks tumbling... shit! That could only be one person, and I so did not want to deal with him right now. I had no where to hide.

I looked up as he walked in, dressed in his corporate attire. I closed my eyes and sighed. This was not going to go well at all.

"Babe?" I took that to mean what's wrong now.

"I'm fine Ranger. Just having one of those days. What do you need?"

"I wanted to talk to you, but you ran out of the bonds office like the hounds of hell were after you."

"What do you need? I don't think I'll be much use for a distraction tonight. I'm all puffy and blotchy. Don't think I could get a skip to follow me anywhere like this."

"Babe."

"I need more than one word. If you actually want to talk to me, you needs to use words. My ESP is on the fritz."

While I sat there waiting for him to continue my phone rang. I let it go and my machine picked up. Suddenly my mother's voice filled the room.

"Stephanie! Pick up your phone right now! You good for nothing whore! You know you lost your only chance at a good marriage when you cheated on Joe and he married that Gillman woman. Why you think you're better than everyone is beyond me, you ungrateful little bitch! You WILL be here for dinner tonight!"

I broke down in tears again. This was my life. I suddenly felt myself being lifted and being placed in Ranger's lap. He began whispering to me in Spanish, trying to sooth me, but I couldn't let him. I needed to get away.

"Steph, please let me hold you. Don't struggle, please don't pull away from me, mi amor."

I finally pulled myself together.

"Please, Ranger, just rip the band aid off quickly. Tell me what it is you need to tell me, then let me be alone to deal with it. I just can't take many more blows in my life."

"Stephanie, what is going on? Please let me help you. You know I will do anything in my power for you."

"Just don't take your friendship from me and I should be fine. You're the only one who let's me be me."

"Babe, why are you talking like this?"

"Listen I know the speech. Every chapter, every verse. Your life doesn't lend itself to relationships, but from what I understand you've found that special someone, and if she doesn't want you to be around me just let me know. Okay? It's not like anyone else wants me either, I've come to terms with that.

"Losing your friendship though, that will be hard. I love you and have for a long time now. I went back to Morelli like a good little girl, because if I couldn't have the one I loved; I figured I should try to love the one I was with. Just do it quickly and leave please. You don't need to see me break completely. I can promise that it won't be pretty."

"What are you talking about? I haven't met anyone special except you. I don't want to lose any more time with you.

"Today, at the office, I wanted you to meet Celia's oldest daughter, Maria. I wanted to ask you to come to Newark with me tonight for her engagement party, so you could meet my family."

He paused and looked at me with a range of emotions on his face. Love, tenderness, excitement and confusion.

"I want to start our someday. My contract is over and well I've sold off Rangeman to my partners.

"I want to show you the world,Babe. I want to marry you and have children with you. Neither of us will have to work another day in our life. Please, Stephanie, don't push me away."

I began to cry again as I threw my arms around his neck.

"You're not leaving me?" I whispered.

"Never."

We held onto to each other, I didn't want to let go. I was afraid it was all a dream.

"Will you get changed and come to Newark with me? We'll get to watch the fireworks while we're there. Then tomorrow we can pick anywhere in the world you want to live and we can be there within the week. What do you say Babe? Wanna get out of Trenton and start our lives together?"

"Yes," I replied breathlessly.

He pulled me in for a mind numbing, panty ruining, holy hot flashes kind of kiss. It was time for my freedom from the Burg, and my best friend was making it happen. I think I could like the holidays now.

At least, I know I won't have to wait until the Fourth of July to see fireworks. All I needed was Ranger's kiss.

Happy Fourth of July!


End file.
